Album Review: The Thrillbillys — Where There’s a Thrill, There’s a Way

If Chuck Berry’s cousin Marvin hadn’t been around to play the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance with Marty McFly, The Thrillbillys could have probably filled in just fine. The Virginia quartet’s newest album, Where There’s a Thrill, There’s a Way, is a collection of Brit-tinged rock n roll that’ll stick to you like pomade.

Trucker tune “Chrome Naked Girls” is a Del Reeves-eque burst of dieselbilly with a guest appearance from the superlative Bill Kirchen on guitar (Thrillbillys frontman Johnny Castle, who wrote the song, spent over a decade playing with Kirchen) is the best of the record’s half-dozen original songs, while the covers range from the fairly obvious—an excellent take on Bobby Fuller’s surf rock instrumental “Our Favorite Martian”—to the unexpected with “My Little Red Book” and a version of the Curtis Mayfield-penned tune “You Must Believe Me” that boasts sweet, Eagles-eque harmonies.

If you can’t make it to Annandale, where the band has played a regular Thursday night gig at The Sunset Grille for a few years now, or just want to dance to some retro rock in the privacy of your own home, Where There’s a Thrill is a fine substitute.

Listen if You Like: JP McDermott & Western Bop, Chuck Mead, Del Reeves, The Jetsons

Top Tracks: “Chrome Naked Girls,” “My Little Red Book,” “Drink and a Friend”